Himangshu Ranjan Bhuyan
himangshur1989@gmail.com
Digitalization and the use of technology have now become a common and indispensable part of the present education system. From the blackboards of school classrooms to the books and notebooks in the hands of students, the influence of smartphones, laptops, and the internet is now clearly visible everywhere. Although this transformation did not happen overnight, its pace has increased abnormally in the last few years, especially after the COVID pandemic. The primary objective of education is the acquisition of knowledge and the proper application of that knowledge in real life, but recent technologies have completely transformed the overall medium through which this knowledge is acquired. Earlier, a student had to spend hours after hours or days after days in libraries to search for certain information, whereas now the same information is available within a few seconds through the internet and directly in the palm of their hand. As a result, the valuable time of students is being saved, and the latest knowledge from any corner of the world has become easily accessible. However, whether this excessive accessibility has truly improved the real qualitative standard of education or not remains a significant and rational question of the present time. Technology has changed the method of teaching itself, where the role of teachers is no longer confined to merely providing fixed information; instead, they have become guides or facilitators who help students understand and utilize the available information according to their needs. During digital teaching, various visual and audio tools are widely used, which help students understand complex subjects like science and mathematics comparatively more easily. Nevertheless, this mechanical system has considerably weakened the long-standing emotional, respectful, and interactive relationship between teachers and students. The mental and intellectual difference between studying alone in front of a lifeless screen and studying in the presence of an experienced teacher along with classmates can never be denied. Technology has undoubtedly expanded the scope of education, but there is now a pressing need for an impartial and rigorous evaluation of how it has affected students' independent thinking abilities and their capacity to adopt analytical perspectives according to situations. The excessive simplification of information has often made students dependent entirely on internet search engines for answers rather than reading books and thinking independently. Consequently, a kind of stagnation has emerged in their own creativity and natural problem-solving abilities. Therefore, while accepting the digital education system as a modern and rapid tool, it has become extremely necessary for every section of society to keep a close watch on its practical and psychological aspects as well.
With the rapid expansion of digital education, another serious and sensitive issue has emerged in our society, which sociologists describe as the "digital divide". For students belonging to well-established urban families with every facility, arranging high-speed internet, expensive smartphones, or high-quality laptops is not a major challenge. However, for thousands of students from rural areas, remote regions, or economically backward sections of the same state, these advanced tools still remain an unattainable dream. Digital education had promised to bring equal opportunities and improved education for everyone through technology, but in reality, it has also brought the existing economic inequalities of society harshly into the sacred field of education. A meritorious student studying in a simple government school in a remote village may not even possess a basic mobile phone for attending online classes, or even if there is a phone, poor internet connectivity prevents regular participation in classes. As a direct result, despite having talent and determination, many students are being forced to lag far behind their urban counterparts in their academic journey solely due to the lack of technology and financial resources. The Constitution says that the fundamental right to education should be equal for all, but the present digital medium has created a huge invisible wall in this equality. While speaking about the expansion and improvement of digital education, the government and administration should first focus realistically on solving these fundamental infrastructural problems. Merely providing a few computers in government schools or uploading textbooks in PDF format on the internet can never fulfil the true purpose of digital education. For this, uninterrupted electricity supply and affordable high-quality internet services must be ensured in every village and remote region. Furthermore, the government should implement practical and effective schemes for providing digital tools to children from financially weak and poor families so that no student is permanently deprived of the light of education due to a mere lack of technology. Without removing this dangerous inequality, if society blindly glorifies digital education alone, then in the near future a new class of people will emerge who will remain educationally backward solely because of technological deprivation. As a result, the overall progress of society and the nation will suffer greatly. Therefore, for the successful implementation of digital education, it is extremely important to maintain a sharp focus on the social and economic realities of society alongside the rapid advancement of technology.
The excessive and constant use of technology has also deeply affected the mental stability, emotional development, and core learning processes of students. In this fast-moving digital age, the duration for which students can concentrate continuously on a particular subject, commonly known as the "attention span", has frighteningly and visibly decreased. The present generation, accustomed to watching short videos, reels, and rapidly changing colourful visuals on mobile and laptop screens, now finds it extremely difficult to read a simple book for a long period or to think deeply and attentively about a complex topic. As a result, the depth, concentration, and patience that are essential for real learning are gradually disappearing from society. Since all information in the world is readily available on the internet, the natural memory power and tendency of students to retain important information have significantly declined. Although the easy availability of information is beneficial in one sense, it also has another negative side, which is the strong possibility of reduced natural activity of the human brain. The habit of instantly depending on Google or artificial intelligence for answers to any simple question has become a major obstacle in the development of their own analytical thinking and natural problem-solving skills. Alongside this, the entry of corporate sectors into modern education and the aggressive commercial expansion of various EdTech companies have made the situation more concerning and complex. These multinational companies have transformed the sacred field of education into a profitable and highly competitive business and have created an artificial and frightening sense of competition in the minds of ordinary parents through attractive advertisements. Through publicity campaigns, they claim that if students do not enrol in their specific digital courses, their future will become completely dark. As a result of such misleading and emotional marketing, many parents are forced to go beyond their financial capacities and even borrow money to purchase these expensive applications and courses. This has gradually created distrust among people regarding the mainstream school education system and has given rise to a parallel and costly educational structure that is accessible only to the wealthy and financially capable sections of society. The conversion of education into an ordinary market commodity has severely weakened the original selfless ideals associated with education. The intellectual evaluation of students now depends merely on how quickly they can click the correct answer to an MCQ question on a screen, rather than on their real understanding or practical knowledge of the subject. This entirely mechanical process may increase examination scores, but it can never nurture genuine knowledge, wisdom, or human values among students.
Completely removing digital technology from the present education system is now impossible and unrealistic in this rapidly changing era. The future world will fundamentally depend upon technology, and therefore introducing students to these new technologies from an early age is necessary and a demand of the times. However, the most important issue here is maintaining the proper balance. Digital technology should serve only as a dependable and rapid supportive medium for education; it can never become a complete substitute for the formal education system itself. Playing with classmates in the open environment of a school, interacting face to face with teachers in classrooms, and learning the social behaviour necessary for living in society are all extremely essential for the balanced and holistic development of a student. These human and social experiences can never be provided by a lifeless digital screen. The government and national education policymakers must pay close attention to ensuring that the use of technology does not completely eliminate the invaluable human touch of the classroom environment. Along with this, teachers should also be given advanced government-supported training for the proper and effective use of these new technologies. Teachers must be capable of using technology as a controlled educational tool rather than allowing technology to control them or their methods of teaching. Moreover, setting a strict and definite limit on the "screen time" spent daily by students in front of mobile phones or computer screens has become absolutely necessary. Constant exposure to screens may have severe negative effects on their eyes, brains, and overall physical as well as mental health. The primary objective of education is not merely to gather information from books and pass examinations but to grow into responsible, compassionate, and ideal citizens of society. Amid this overwhelming influence of modern technology, society must remain cautious so that this eternal and fundamental objective of education is never forgotten. Teaching students from an early age how to use the vast reservoir of knowledge available through digital media constructively and responsibly rather than destructively has now become one of the greatest challenges before society. Instead of blindly and uncontrollably imitating technology, only rational, continuously monitored, and need-based usage can truly make our education system stronger, more effective, and more relevant to the times. Throughout this entire process of transformation, society must move forward not under the influence of temporary emotions or public frenzy, but through realistic, rigorous, and farsighted planning, which remains the sole and primary demand of the present time.